Conference Refrigerator Hangers #2 (Apr 2011) Followers of Christ

Walter F. Gonzalez (70) Followers of Christ
“Two characteristics can help us recognize to what extent we follow Him. First, followers of Christ are loving people. Second, followers of Christ make and keep covenants.”
“Truly loving Christ provides the required strength to follow Him. … Love is a powerful influence in our hearts in our effort to be obedient.”
Joseph Smith taught, “covenants were made in heaven” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church, JS, 42). Also (in endnote) Spencer W. Kimball taught, ‘We made vows, solemn vows, in the heavens before we came to this mortal life. … We have made covenants. We made them before we accepted our position here on the earth.’
“Making covenants is an expression of love. … All things will work together for our good if we remember our covenants. … Love for the Savior and remembering our covenants will help us keep them. Partaking of the sacrament is one way to remember them … The power of our covenants is greater than any challenge we face or we may face.”

This reminded me of two quotes from President Eyring’s teachings.

“The covenant God offers us in marriage contains the crowning promise, the one that most touches our hearts. To be sealed in the temple of God by the sealing power that God has restored to the earth allows God to promise us that we may have all He has, may live the life that He lives, and may be with Him, the Savior, and our faithful family members forever In perfect love and harmony. Our promise is complete too. We promise to give Him all that we have and are and all that we may ever have or ever achieve. So the promise is that we may have all He has by giving all we have. The almost unimaginable imbalance of that exchange, all we have for all He has, is a measure of His love for us" (Elder Henry B. Eyring in Because He First Loved Us, p. 44).

(From my notes of one of his talks at the dedication of the Columbia River Temple -- paraphrased, not a direct quote): Elder Eyring said that when he came to the temple for the first time, he was only a few minutes into the endowment session when he realized he had waited all his life to make these covenants with his Heavenly Father so he could be eligible to receive these promises.